Overview
This study assesses the feasibility and safety of performing osteopathic manual treatment (OMT) for hemiplegic shoulder pain in stroke patients. This study's participants will be adults with a first-time stroke diagnosis in the past 5 years and shoulder pain on the same side affected by stroke. Eligible participants will be placed on study for approximately 6 weeks and given either OMT or a sham treatment each week.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients must be at least 18 years or older to participate in the study
- Presence of shoulder pain on the side of the body affected by stroke
- Patients must have a diagnosis of a first-time stroke within the past 5 years
- Stroke type must be subcortical, brainstem, and/or right-MCA stroke. Participants with multiple stroke types within the first-time diagnosis, not including left-MCA, may be included
Exclusion Criteria:
- Presence of an active systemic or localized infection requiring antibiotic therapy
- Presence of fracture in the area being treated
- Presence of open wound in the area being treated
- Presence of rheumatoid arthritis
- Presence of known active malignancy
- Presence of shoulder pain on the affected side within 3 months prior to stroke
- Patients who demonstrate hemispatial visual neglect based on screening motor-free visual perception test (MFVPT)
- Patients already receiving any type of manual therapy by a certified therapist through their standard-of-care treatment
- Patients who do not wish to participate
- Patients who are not fit as judged by the study team
- Patients who lack the capacity to consent for enrollment in the study based on the University of California San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent